//------------------------------//
// 7.10 
// Story: The Goddess Within 
// by Bicyclette 
//------------------------------//

When the Goddess spoke to her, Celestia was puzzled.

It had been a bizarre week all around. She had co-ruled Equestria with Luna for more than a century together, but all of a sudden they were clashing over basic things like not understanding each other’s work schedule. Issues they should have had and resolved a thousand times before.

But now, she understood. There needed to be some problem for Starlight Glimmer to solve, even if it meant suddenly acting in ways that would confuse and even hurt dear, sweet, exhausted Luna. All leading up to frustrating Starlight enough to try something that would have been truly unexpected to mere mortals.

It had been a beautiful effort by the young unicorn mare, but she never had a hope of actually altering the Body of the Goddess. So the Goddess made it appear as if her little spell had worked, even conforming to the oblivious Starlight’s misconception that the splotches of black on Luna’s flank were a part of her cutie mark as well.

But the Goddess’s gift of knowledge only gave Celestia something else to be puzzled about. Something that had happened during her journey into Starlight Glimmer’s nightmare.

“She knew!” shouted Celestia, smugly. “She knew your true form!”

Celestia could almost believe that the Goddess’s reply took a touch longer than usual.


no. she knew OUR true form. though I would not have continued to speak in the royal canterlot dialect if I wanted to be taken seriously.


Celestia could almost believe that the Goddess had spat out the last sentence. She pressed on. 

“But You had no idea! You had no idea this would happen, did You?“

The Goddess confirmed.


no, I did not. but I have already refactored my plans. starlight glimmer will be easy enough to distract.


That was supposed to shut her down. To demonstrate that even unforeseen events such as these could never derail Her plans. But it only encouraged her.

“How is that possible? I thought you could predict everything about the minds of us pathetic mortals?“

Celestia could almost believe that there was a pause before the Goddess replied.


there are beings beyond this plane of existence whose actions even I cannot predict.


“Really?” Celestia laughed. “You’ve never told any of my past selves about them!”

The Goddess replied.


they really do exist. they are not of this world, and you are biologically incapable of truly understanding their motivations. but I can prove it to you by showing what the beings that profited the most from this sound like.


Celestia’s sensorium was flooded by a cacophony of eldritch sounds. Sounds of squishing and squelching, unsettling to her in ways she could not name. It made her feel deeply uneasy, but she did not ask for it to stop. 

Her own distress was her victory. The Goddess had never gone out of Her way to cause her discomfort before. For the first time ever, she had witnessed the Goddess being petty.

Celestia died, triumphant.